It was a cool night and the Brown Jug was alight with laughter and singing, really, really bad singing. But then that was Trosser's custom when heavily inebriated. The singing didn't even prepare you for the way he looked, and that didn't prepare you for how he smelled. The tavern door swung open slowly revealing a hooded figure standing in the door way. Throwing back her hood as she entered, she didn't even notice the affect her beauty had on the assembled patrons. If you had been deaf all your life you would have heard the collective jaws dropping. As she approached the bar, Trosser's stench only managing to raise her eyebrows, she removed a silver coin from a small pouch hanging between her breasts. Placing it on top of the bar, she summoned the innkeeper with a simple crook of her finger before leaning in to ask a question. Shaking slightly he indicated the younger nobleman sitting in a corner speaking with one of the barmaids.

Gracefully as a cat she stalked forward, leaning over beside the nobleman she whispered "My lord your father has sent me to find you and make you aware of the current situation."

"The current situation my dear is that unless you and that beautiful body of yours are going to keep me and my loins warm tonight you are interu……." a sudden noise stopped his words as a blade drove through the seat of his chair.

A hissed reply filled his ears "If you intend on being rude I will warm your loins in the fireplace of this inn, before I drag you back to Misdon by whatever is left." Calmly she turned to the barmaid, "My dear if you would excuse us we have business to discuss." she said wrenching her dagger free from the chair and sat down in the conveniently empty seat beside the young lord. "My lord Thomas I am loath to inform you of the death of your brother William. Your father has named you heir to his title and lands and requests your presence in Misdon." she spoke with the utmost formality yet the young lord had no apparent intent of returning to Misdon.

As they argued on, the door swung open once more, this time a grumpy traveller stomped into the place ignored the drunken Trosser and signalled for a pint of ale, the door slowly swinging closed behind him. The ale had barely touched his lips when the door swung open wide once more revealing a travelling merchant. The merchant slung her sack onto the table she began peddling her wares. Silver mirrors and golden trinkets poured forth from the sack. "2 Silver for this mirror and 3 gold for that necklace and …." She shouted her next pitch cut short by a derisive snort from the grumpy man at the bar. Switching her attention to him she began throwing pitch after pitch in his direction.

"Best deal with you other customers first before they walk away with your goods." the grumpy traveller replied. As she returned to her wares he took a long draft of his ale, emptying it in a single breath before heading for the door. A young child was swinging what appeared to be a finely crafted long sword blocking the door a whirlwind of razor edged steel. "Put it down boy its not a toy." said the traveller coldly.

"No, No, NO, NO, NO, N……" his words cut short by the hiss of drawn steel. As the traveller leered over him blade drawn the boy dropped the blade and ran.

"Next time keep your goods on the table where they belong." intoned the traveller, his words punctuated by the sound of the blade spinning and skittering across the floor toward the merchant after he sent it to her with a swift kick. As he opened the door he passed a man in armour, his posture that of a soldier. The traveller leaned back against the door and watched as the armoured man approached the merchant and the blade.

"Where did you get such fine ware's my dear?" he asked as he picked up the blade gazing at the workmanship. His gaze shifted back to the merchant as though silence was not the answer he was expecting. "Return these good folks coin and hand over your wares and we will discuss this tomorrow when you feel more talkative." His words were issued as a command and followed as one. As one of the village guards lead her of toward the keep the armoured man approached the young noble, "Still here I see."

Lord Thomas smiled "But of course, as lord of these lands it is my duty to see to my subjects."

The armoured man sighed "Once more I must correct you, I am the lord of SpringDale, not you."

Rolling his eyes the traveller walked up to the table and said "Listen my armoured friend, that ruby in the hilt could by this town thrice over and you are no Noble Lord, your not nearly useless enough." Shaking his head the traveller marched out the door.

Smiling the Lord of SpringDale nodded at the innkeeper indicating that he should follow before turning his gaze to the lady. "When you are done speaking with this child my dear I would welcome your company at dinner this evening." The Lord of SpringDale bowed gently brushing her hand with his lips before following after the traveller and the innkeeper, his armour clinking softly. Lord Thomas scowled at his back as he once more buried himself in his ale mug. The innkeeper hurried after the strange traveller his gut bobbing up and down.

The traveller stopped suddenly rounding on the innkeeper "Sir. Your following me and I have half a mind to kill you for that but instead I'm gonna ask you why?" his words were more for his own benefit than the innkeepers, as if he was deciding as he spoke.

"If your lord wanted to talk to me he should have come himself. So if your lord gets here and I don't like what he has to say, I will cut off something very precious and feed it to you."

A rank stench wafted into the air as the Lord of SpringDale approached. "Don't do that, I'm not here to do harm."

The traveller smirked "Says the man in armour approaching me sword in hand. Why don't you just stab that blade into the ground and lets go find somewhere to sit and chat shall we." Glancing from the sword in his sheath to the one in hand, the lord of SpringDale unsheathed his sword and plunged it into the soft earth placing the ruby hilted blade in its stead. "Good choice" answered the traveller as he sat on a boulder and pointed to another which sat 10 feet yonder, keeping his eye on the lord of SpringDale.

As the lord sat a query came to him "You served, You have the walk." The traveller looked at him sideways and slowly rolled up one sleeve. Inked into his skin was mariners tattoo and bellow it was a list of names. One of the names grabbed his attention, Balshail, a ship that sank only five survived. "I served aboard the balshail. Call me Tirsan." glancing back at the tattoo, he noticed another name, Evandar, a ship whose crew was butchered, found adrift on its maiden voyage.

"Smug, so lets talk business." He replied as he rolled down his sleeve.

As Charlotte pruned the deadly nightshade in her her herb garden. She heard the rumblings of a great and terrible beast in the distance whose foul stench trailed upon the wind for miles. Quickly she speed toward the village to warn her friends and the local lord. She quickly found the baker and warned him of the impending assault and encouraged him to take his family away. Afterwards she stopped by the inn and informed her friend the inn keeper. He stubbornly decided to stay but promised he would send his daughters away from danger. As she approached the lords keep she noticed a lone guard standing watch. "I must speak with the lord of SpringDale" she informed him. His silent nod her only reply she began entering the keep.

A hand barred her path and the his voice softly rumbled "I didn't say you could enter. If the lord wants to see you he'll see you. Write him a note & I'll make sure he gets it." Begrudgingly she wrote upon a small piece of deer hide and handed it to a waiting messenger.

After several minutes the messenger returned to allow her entrance. "No rush its not like there's a troll headed this way or anything."

The lone guard pressed his finger to his lips and a low "Shhhhhhhhhh" drifted after her.

As she entered the lords hall the scent of delicious foods wafted past her making her mouth water. The lord of SpringDale quietly rose and pulled out a chair beside him. Charlotte famished from her travels grab hand fulls of food and a by a miracle she managed to talk around the meat in her mouth, informing him of the troll rampaging toward the village.

"You are a herbalist are you not" The lord waited patiently for her reply which came as a nod.

"Mister Smug has arrived my Lord" the herald intoned. His words only greeted by the the glares from the two men at the door, one of whom was the front guard.

"And is cheeky still a field my lord?" Smug's glare shifted to Charlotte in response to her quip. The guard took his seat across from Charlotte and silently glared at her.

Smug cracked a small smile at her before looking at the lord and saying "Their leader is dead your scout and that beautiful young duelist disposed of him after we stampeded their cattle and set alight their food supplies."

"Sorry my lord, he just disappeared." The reply came with a slight shrug.

"That sneaky bastard is probably standing in the shadowy corner over there." Smug suggested as the rest of the soldiers sat down. Menath stepped forward from the corner and waved. The rest of the soldiers just froze glancing at each other.

"The troll they had with them is loose Tirsan and its probably rampaging and hungry." Smug commented.

"Perhaps if I could find the proper herbs. Do you have a garden by any chance." Charlotte replied.

"Certainly I will have Yhir take you." The quiet servant who was pouring drinks for the guests smiled and nodded at Charlotte and lead her to the garden.

Kendra O'Hayne was walking toward a small town that was on the road. As she approached the freshly dug earthen works a seemingly drunken man approached her. "Hello bueatuflll you wantt mee to showw you around town?" was all he said as he stumbled forward and fell into the mud. Avoiding him and his stench she approached the general store inquiring about work. There she was directed to the keep, where they appeared to have a more pressing need for her ample skills.

The lone guard at the keep took one look at her axe and said "Not much chance of me stopping you. So I'll just show you in."

As she walked into the main hall, all the men's eyes turned to appraise her. "2 Silver per week for anyone who will help defend the town & keep and this yellow diamond for anyone who brings me the head of the rampaging troll."Tirsan held up the yellow diamond for a moment before approaching Kendra. "That axe looks more becoming on you than many fine dresses."

"Awww, but you haven't seen me use it yet." Kendra smiled as she replied. Shortly there after the planning began.

Charlotte spent the night's hours making the poison. She climbed the tower stairs to the archers nest as she handed each archer the poison she instructed them in its use. "Dip the tip in the poison and make sure to get some on the shaft." Her instruction interrupted by the laughter of the archers. "Yes, Yes, its very funny. I know how to shrivel yours." She calmly informed them. Their visible flinches bringing a smile to her face calmly she began heading toward the main gates. When a haughty lord meet her in the stairwell.

"Lord Thomas Smith Renford the fifth my lady, It is a pleasure to meet you" he dribbled with his disingenuous charms. Raising an eyebrow Charlotte handed him some of the toxin and brushed passed him without a word, quietly heading down to assist with the inevitable wounds that would need help during the battle.

The next mourning the sounds of some creature crashing through the forest fast approaching. As the troll stumbled out into the open he began charging directly at the wall. Smug began taunting the beast attempting to channel the troll to the earthworks. Yet the creature continued stumbling toward the walls mumbling "Saaraa" over and over again.

As the troll approached the wall Smug called out "Hey Sara" stopping the troll dead in its tracks.

As he turned his gaze locked on Kendra as she strutted across the battle field her bare flesh obscured only by the war paint which covered her shapely and quite distracting form. "Sara" cried the troll as he began running toward her the whistles of the soldiers finally dying down. As she ran leading the troll toward the earth works the creature caught up to her. Quickly spinning to plant her spear and levelling it at the creatures gut. "Sara hurt!" cried the beast as the haughty Lord loosed his arrow. "Bad Sar…AHHRGHHH!!!" screamed the creature his words brought short with a scream of pain as a lone arrow was swallowed buy his flesh. Howling in pain the troll clawed at her crippling her. As she gazed up at the beast who was about to take her life an arc of flame landed behind the creature exploding with such force that the troll was thrown over her toward the keep. A stunned Lord Thomas turned to look at the smiling face of a genial serving man from the Lords keep. As the beast succumbed to the poisons on the arrow and spear, villagers approached and shackled the beast chaining it to the walls of the keep. Meanwhile Charlotte helped see to Kendra's wounds.

Tirsan stood near the slumbering troll his eyebrows raised. A soft sigh escaped his lips, "I hope he doesn't wake up." A wolf hound trotted forward followed buy an engineer. Her team dragging a large wedged boulder behind them. Quickly they set about raising the boulder above the head of the slumbering beast. Smug began briskly heading toward the inn, "I'm gonna get breakfast." Two elves quietly approached Tirsan, the elven male approached cautiously an arrow readied. The elven lady bowed to Tirsan, "Greetings my lord, I am Venethaile and this is my guardian Telepelase. Do you require any assistance with this beast or any wounded." *Tirsan** welcomed the aid of the elves. As Telepelase approached the ogre he notice Lord Thomas, "Nice toy you have their child." Lord Thomas raised an eyebrow. Venethaile looked harshly at Telepelase, intoning in elven "Please try to be nice to the humans." Calmly Telepelase turned to Lord Thomas, "Would You Like Lessons?" Shaking her head Venethaile left to look after the wounded. As the boulder hung suspended over the trolls head, a third elf approached the troll taking aim at the beasts eye. Joining the elf near the troll Lord Thomas took aim at the other eye. As the loosed their arrows, striking directly into his eyes. Angrily the beast began to rise, the boulder dropping onto his head breaking in half. The beast, blinded by the arrows, and stunned by the boulder began flailing wildly tearing apart the pallacaids in his blinded fury. The two archers continued to fire, arrows at the beast. As the beast fled to the forest, the other elf took aim, his arrow passing through the cracked in its head. Screaming the beast rolled upon the ground in agony. Calmly Tirsan approached the beast driving his blade into the creatures brain. Quickly they set about disposing of the creature. Yhir, Tirsan's's servant quietly approached Smug flaunting an ancient Silver Coin, "Could you bring some of the flesh of the creature?" Shrugging Surley walked up and scalped the beast, also removing several scales from the beast. Trading flesh for silver Smug twirled the coin in hand before stashing it in his pocket.

As they returned to the keep a rapturous song drifted down, gently caressing their ears. Awe struck they stood staring up at the keep. Stumbling forth like a lumbering drunkard Tirsan entered the room, barely noticing the gawking Charlotte fumbling with Kendra's bandages. Vendetheil's song was soft and gentle as though encouraging the flesh to heal, her hands glowing softly as they traced the edge's of the wound. As her song drew to a close, Tirsan and Charlotte exhaled softly. “I have done all I can this day my lord. I will come to call once more tomorrow.” Vendethail's words were strained, the fatigue beginning to show upon her face. “Thank you Vendethail.” Tirsan said as he looked over Kendra's scarred flesh. “I will see to it that rooms are prepared for you at the keep my lady” Open gratitude honeyed his words as Vendethail exited the chamber Telpelase in tow.

The main hall was filled with the scents of delicately prepared dishes. The guests filtered in slowly. Lord Tirsan sat at the head of the main table. As the elves entered Telpelase moved to sit beside the lord, earning a harsh gaze and a raised eyebrow. Quickly Vendethail moved to interceed, “Telpelase! You are sitting in the seat reserved for the lords best friend. Perhaps we should sit at the table over there.” Grudgingly Telpelase rose to join Vendethail at the other table. “Mister Smug and miss Charlotte, My lord.” Announced the herald as the surly sailor and the herbalist arrived.

Notes: Everyone takes their seats to enjoy the feast, they start up small conversations, as they begin the main course a bell rings in the distance its ring punctuated by the doors crashing open and a shouting guardsman every one heads out into the fray. The enemy attacks stragic points with small forces while the rest of its troops remain scattered for a terror campaign.The began by setting various buildings alight fearful for katia's safety bjorn runs off to find her in the chaos. Smug heads of toward the inn